Brethren to lead out in funding for North Korea farm program.

A grant of $42,500 from the Church of the Brethren account at the Foods Resource Bank confirms the denomination as the lead sponsor of the Ryongyon Sustainable Food Security Program in North Korea. The Brethren account is made up of funds raised by local Church of the Brethren growing projects, and is sponsored by the denomination's Global Food Crisis Fund.

The North Korea farm project supports environmentally friendly community development at a group of four collective farms covering over 7,000 acres. The Church of the Brethren is to be the lead sponsor for the three-year hunger program that will provide $100,000 to the farms this year, and is expected to provide $100,000 each year for the next two years. Earlier this year, Global Food Crisis Fund manager Howard Royer organized and was part of a delegation to North Korea.

The Foods Resource Bank general account will provide a matching grant of $42,500 to the project, and ecumenical partners will provide the remainder to make up the total of $100,000. Partners are Mennonite Central Committee, the United Methodist Committee on World Relief, the United Church of Christ, and Lutheran World Relief.

Source: 5/07/2008 Newsline